Broadband Utilities Plans 3 Denver Facilities

Broadband Utilities Inc. has bought land in Longmont, Colorado and plans to build three 50,000 square foot data centers in the Denver suburb, the company said this week. Broadband Utilities is a partnership between three Dallas-area companies: private equity firm Broadband Venture Partners, builder Beck Group, and Brandt Engineering, an electrical and mechanical systems specialist.

"We have approximately 13 acres under contract, and our plans are to build three enterprise data centers on that property where we can have three individual users or a large (user) that needs a tremendous amount of space," John Drossos, Broadband's chief executive officer, told local media.

Drossos said Longmont has the key qualities needed for a data center: reliable and affordable power, excellent climate, access to highly educated employees and close proximity to a major airport. "We really like the Longmont area," Drossos said. "I just think it's a terrific market."

The company's plan is to build three LEED-certified Tier III data centers but will cater the buildings to the client or clients that occupy them. Drosses didn't name prospects, but said there had been "there have been many interested companies."

Broadband Utilities plans to include rooftop solar panels and "Xeriscaping" in their facility design to help achieve certifcation under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standard from the U.S. Green Buildings Council. Xeriscaping is a method of landscaping doesn't require irrigation (often using plants like cactus or agave), and is popular in the Southwest.